Driving apparatus for hoist drums



Nov. 20, 1962 TAKEO NOJIMA DRIVING APPARATUS FOR X-IOIST DRUMS Filed Jan. 4, 1961 INVENTOR.

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,QMKMW tlit This invention relates to an apparatus for operating a row of hoist drums, and more particularly to an apparatus for selectively operating a plurality of hoist drums arranged in an axial line.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the kind specified in which the plurality of hoist drums are selectively operated by a common through shaft from a common driver such as an electric motor or internal combustion engine.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of the kind specified in which means are provided for operatively connecting any of the plurality of hoist drums to a common driving shaft effectively by a remote control.

A further object of the present invention is to provide efficient means for controlling and operating heavy hoist drums with minimum actuating power.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, in which,

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a general arrangement of one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of one hoist drum and associated mechanisms, partly in longitudinal section, partly in side elevation and partly diagrammatic.

Referring to FIG. 1, a plurality of hoist drums 1 are rotatably mounted about a common through shaft 2 supported for rotation in a suitable number of bearings 3. The hoist drums 1 thus form a row along a common axial line. Each drum may serve, for example, to hoist open a gate of a water storage dam and to close the same for controlling water level in the dam.

The shaft 2 carries at one end a pulley 4 which is driven by an electric motor 5 through a driving belt as illustrated.

Referring to FIG. 2, each drum 1 comprises a cylindrical sheave 11 provided at or near opposite ends with annular rails 12. Each rail engages a plurality of bearing wheels 13 arranged in circular rows within annular frames 14 fixed on a suitable stationary framework, not shown. With the above arrangement, the drum 1 is appropriately guided for its rotation about the shaft 2.

Each drum 1 is provided inside thereof with an annular connector ring 15 fixed to the inner cylindrical face of the sheave 11 and having a frusto-conical inner peripheral surface 16.

In radial registration with the connector ring 15, is a driving disc 17 rigidly mounted on the shaft 2. The disc has a frustoconical shape, whose outer conical surface 18 converges in one axial direction of the shaft 2, while the conical surface 16 of connector ring 15 converges in the opposite axial direction of shaft 2. Thus there is defined an annular space of frusto-conical cross-section between surfaces 16 and 18.

Within the above-mentioned annular space, a plurality of frusto-conical wedge elements 19 arranged in a circular row are disposed. The elements 19 are all fixed to a disc plate 20 loosely mounted on the shaft 2 and disposed in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the shaft. The disc plate 20 has an annular peripheral flange 21 which engages slidably with an annular peripheral flange 22 of another disc plate 23 loosely mounted on the shaft 2 parallel to disc plate 20. The flanges 21 and 22 slidably engage each other in a telescopic manner, so that the disc plates 20 and 23 may move relatively to each other in axial directions as well as in circumferential di- Patent 0 3,654,946 Patented Nov. 20, 1962 rections. In order to facilitate the rotation of disc plate; 20 with respect to disc plate '23, a circular rail 24 is provided on one face of the plate 20, and a plurality of wheels 25 are mounted on the opposing face of plate 23 in a circular row for cooperative engagement with the rail 24.

The disc plate 23 is rigidly connected to a plurality of circumferentially spaced piston rods 26 extending in the axial direction of shaft 2 and carrying pistons 27 at outer ends. The cylindrical pistons 27 cooperate with circum ferentially spaced cylinders 28 mounted in a stationary cylindrical frame 29. Each cylinder 28 is provided with pressurized oil inlet pipe 30 and exhaust pipe 31. The pipes 30 and 3 1 are connected to a remote oil pressure system which is not shown in the drawings. The control device of the oil pressure system may be disposed in a central control station remote from the hoist drums 1.

The disc plate 20 carrying wedge elements 19 is urged by circumferentially spaced springs 32 disposed between narrow ends of respective wedge elements and an annular plate 33 fixed to the inner side of sheave 11. The springs act in an axial direction to release the clutch device fonned by wedge elements 19, ring 15 and disc 17.

In order to operate any particular drum 1, for example, the one shown in FIG. 2, oil pressure is supplied to cylinders 28 associated with that drum by appropriate operation of the remote control device to drive oil into the cylinders via inlet pipes 30. Then, pistons 27 are driven axially to the right as shown in FIG. 2 to urged wedge elements 19 against the conical surfaces 16 and 18 of clutch members 15 and 17 through disc plates 20 and 23. This results in a driving connection between the shaft 2 and the sheave 11. Since the sheave 11 is mounted for rotation in the stationary frame 14, its weight is carried by the frame rather than by the shaft 2'. The arrangement described makes it possible to drive all drums 1 by means of a long shaft of smaller diameter than would otherwise be necessary if the shaft bore the weight of the drums.

When the clutch device members 15-47-19 are engaged, the disc plate 20 begins to rotate relatively to the disc plate 23. This relative rotation is effected with least friction by the rolling engagement of wheels 25 with rail 24. When the oil pressure is released from cylinders 28 through oil outlet pipes 31, springs 32 urge the wedge elements 19 out of engagement with clutch surfaces 16 and 18, and the particular hoist drum 1 is released from driving connection with shaft 2.

Each drum may be provided with an automatic stop mechanism for limiting rotation of the drum to a predetermined number of revolutions. In the embodiment shown, sheave 11 carries a circumferential gear 34 which drives through a suitable gear train 35 a counter and switch device 36 which counts the number of revolutions of sheave 11 and operates means, such as an electric switch, to denergise the electric motor 5 when the drum has rotated a predetermined number of revolutions. In a gate control system for a dam, this arrangement would prevent over-travel of a water gate driven by drum 1.

I claim:

1. A drum driving apparatus, comprising in combination: a cylindrical drum; a rotatable shaft extending axially through the drum; means for rotating the shaft; a disc rigidly secured to the shaft and perpendicular to the axis thereof, said disc having an external frustoconical surface; a ring secured to the interior of the drum in coplanar disposition with the disc, said ring having an internal frusto-conical surface opposing the external surface of the disc and defining an annular frusto-conical space therebetween; a pair of spaced parallel plates having aligned central apertures; said shaft passing through o the apertures in the plates, said plates being free of the shaft for axial and rotational movement with respect to the shaft; a plurality of frusto-conical members secured to and circumferentially spaced on one side of one plate, said members extending into said space; spring means carried by the drum and engaged with said members urging the members axially out of contact with the opposing surfaces of the disc and ring; said plates having opposing interfitted annular flanges; friction reducing means interposed between the plates to facilitate relative rotational movement with respect to each other; bydraulically operable means engaged with the other plate for moving said other plate axially to move the one plate axially and force said members against the surfaces of the disc and ring; stationary frame means disposed externally of the drum; and roller bearing means interposed between said frame means and said drum whereby the drum is driven rotationally by the'shaft when the hydraulically operable means is actuated while the weight of the drum is rotationally supported by said bearing means and frame means.

2. A drum driving apparatus, comprising in combination: a plurality of hoist drums arranged in a row in axial alignment; a rotatable shaft extending axially through all the drums; means for rotating the shaft; a drum driving assembly associated With each drum, each assembly including a disc rigidly secured to the shaft; a ring secured to the interior of the drum in coplanar disposition with the disc, said disc having an external frusto-conical surface, said ring having an internal frusto- 3 conical surface opposing the external surface of the disc and defining an annular frusto-conical space therebetween; a pair of spaced parallel plates having aligned central apertures; said shaft passing through the apertures in the plates, said plates being free of the shaft for axial and rotational movement with respect to the shaft; a plurality of frusto-conical members secured to one side of one plate and extending into said space; spring means carried by the drum and engaged with said members urging said members axially out of contact with the surfaces of the disc and ring; said plates having opposing interfitted annular flanges; friction reducing means interposed between the plates to facilitate relative rotational movement with respect to each other; hydraulically operable means engaged with the other plate for moving said other plate axially thereby to move said one plate axially and force said members against the surfaces of the disc and ring; stationary frames concentric with the drum; spaced outer annular flanges on the drum; and bearing means interposed between said frames and said outer annular flanges, whereby all the drums are rotationally driven by said shaft when the hydraulically operable means are all actuated while the weights of the drums are rotationally supported by said frames and bearing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 841,198 Tredo Jan. 15, 1907 1,595,508 Farrell Aug. 10, 1926 2,567,526 Nitkey Sept. 11, 1951 2,916,924 Gray Dec. 15, 1959 

